Your take on juvenile offenders

Every day thousands of children around the world get caught up in
adult formal justice systems. Children are arrested and
detained by police, tried by ordinary judges, and sent to
institutions, including prisons, under systems of justice which
in many cases are set up for adults. Children’s rights and
special needs are being ignored. These children are
alleged to have come into conflict with the law of the land;
however, no allowances are made for the fact that it is often the
treatment of the court that is in conflict with their survival
behavior and the reality of their lives.

Indisputably, one of the objectives sought to be achieved
through the constitution, was the giving priority to the best
interest of the child. Therefore, all actions concerning children
undertaken by public and private welfare institutions, courts of
law, administrative authorities or legislative bodies, the
primary consideration shall be the best interests of the
child. Whenever there is a matter involving a child, “the
best interest of the child shall be a primary consideration.”
Additionally the right of access to justice is seen as the basis
of the realization of getting comfortable environment for
juveniles.

However, the court has had some problems such as a lack of
experts, commitment or legal lacunae related to the applicability
of article of the constitution. The researcher conducts the
following problem mainly to the substantive inquiry that there is
no policy instrument specific to the problem of juvenile
offenders. Even child friendly courts have no legal basis. In
fact there are international laws ratified by Ethiopia. The
problem is that the court does not take it as part of domestic
law. On top of that Ethiopia does not ratify the African Charter
on the rights and Responsibilities of the African Child which
have so many possible consequences. The decision of the court
could not be certain because of lack of sufficient information as
to the age of the child since there is no comprehensive birth
registration system.